


Racking Up

by bluegeekEM



Series: Promptober 2020 [12]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Communication, Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Towels, planning for the future, potential life changes, story tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26983987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluegeekEM/pseuds/bluegeekEM
Summary: The Enterprise is back from one of its extended missions and Jim and Bones are facing a long shoreleave while the ship is repaired and upgraded.  Leonard catches Jim contemplating what comes next.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Series: Promptober 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950826
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Racking Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lauriegilbert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Off the Rack](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22042240) by [lauriegilbert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/pseuds/lauriegilbert). 



> So Promptober day twelve’s prompt is “friends.” In this case, I decided to write a little story tag to an adorable family-focused story a dear friend wrote years ago that charms me to this day.
> 
> I definitely recommend checking the origin story out, but the briefest of background info is this:   
> Before heading out on one of their long missions, Leonard’s daughter, Joanna, gifts them each a towel to take with them. Jim’s is “Captain Towel” and is command yellow in color. Leonard’s is “Chief Medical Towel” and is science blue. The towels take on far more meaning for them than I think they’d initially anticipated.
> 
> The title of this story is a VERY silly reference to the title of lauriegilbert’s original story.

By Jim’s fifth circuit of their tiny short-term Federation quarters in San Francisco, Leonard had had enough. When Jim stopped to fuss with the positioning of Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel _again_ , he put down his PADD and fixed Jim with a stern look.

“This has better just be temporary, transitional restlessness as you adjust to life back dirtside, Jim, or else you and I are gonna have some problems.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Hey! I supported you when you had your crisis about Joanna being old enough to travel the Earth before she moves on to conquer the quadrant.”

They’d received a final travel update from Joanna just that morning, in fact, the last they would receive before meeting her back in Georgia the week after their meetings with Starfleet brass finally concluded. The message had come complete with several pictures of Cadet Awesome Towel posed in unlikely locations, several of which were more than likely designed to give Leonard an eyelid twitch, such as the shot of Cadet Awesome Towel _mountain climbing_.

“That may be true,” Leonard acknowledged. “But pacing the room isn’t going to change whatever the bigwigs are gonna say to you tomorrow, Jim.”

Jim sighed and collapsed onto the bed beside Leonard. “It’s just bugging me that we have no idea what they’re planning for us after the _Enterprise’s_ repairs and upgrades are complete.” 

“It’ll be months of work, Jim, I’m fairly certain we’ve got time.”

“That’s nothing in terms of Starfleet time, Bones. The fact that they haven’t approved our requests to continue our assignments on the _Enterprise_ makes me nervous.”

“After all your accomplishments on our last long-term missions, Jim? I don’t think you have anything to worry about, even with your… Ah, what did Admiral what’s-his-face call it yesterday? ‘Unorthodox methodology?’”

Jim was silent for several moments before he turned and pressed his face to Leonard’s hip, muffling his words only slightly. “Spock thinks they’re going to offer me an admiralty.” 

Leonard raises his eyebrows. “Now, wouldn’t that be something.”

Jim pinched Leonard’s thigh lightly. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Well, you can’t say it wouldn’t be deserved, or a natural next step in your career.” Leonard began to card his fingers through Jim’s hair. “Is that what has you more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs?”

Jim craned his neck up to see Leonard and grinned. “Wow. I can only imagine what you’re going to be like after a month back home.”

“Shut it, you.” Leonard scowled down at Jim, though he didn’t pause his caresses.

Jim smiled his patented shit-eating Kirk grin before resting his head against Bones’ stomach, and growing quiet again. 

Leonard followed his line of sight and his gaze landed on Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel hanging side-by-side on their hooks just outside the bathroom.

It was another minute before Jim continued. “I have been thinking about it a lot since Spock warned me. I know that Chief Medical Towel wouldn’t mind an assignment on Earth.”

Leonard blew out a long, slow breath. “Well, Jim, I’m not sure Captain Towel is ready to be stationed on solid ground quite yet, if the past two days have been any indication.” Leonard felt, more than heard, the laugh he’d expected from that. “And I know for a fact that Chief Medical Towel is content going wherever Captain Towel goes. He’s got a least one more long-haul mission in him.”

“Captain Towel wants Chief Medical Towel to be happy, not just content.” Jim replied.

Leonard smiled. “I know. He’s that, too.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, Jim. I’m sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for allowing me to play in your sandbox, lauriegilbert!


End file.
